Holding Close
by morning sunlight
Summary: Dean just wants to keep his family close. pre-series


_**Title : Holding Close**_

Author's Note: This was written for spnflashfic 'hugging' challenge.

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, I have merely borrowed the family Winchester and returned them as they were.

* * *

Summary : Dean just wants to keep his family close.

* * *

Dean held on tight, hugging the baby to his chest, biting his lip and rocking. His eyes met Sammy's and he nodded like the baby had told him something. The tears dripped from his eyes and Sammy snuggled closer. Dean blinked back the tears, trying to scrub his cheeks against his shoulder hoping to wipe them away before Daddy saw.

They'd put Daddy in a different room and it didn't really matter how many softly spoken ladies they sent to sit with him, it wasn't going to change what he wanted.

"Hey love," another lady bent down in front of him, gentle smile, kind eyes but Dean just looked away, clinging on grimly to the baby in his arms. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

Yeah and he knew what Mommy had said about talking to strangers, that he mustn't do it. Tonight it seemed really important that he remembered that. He was supposed to be the best big brother ever, so he had to remember all the important things Mommy told him and Daddy too. He looked at the door and wondered what was taking Daddy so long.

"You looking for your Dad there, champ?" the lady asked. Dean looked down at the floor and held on tighter to Sammy. "The doctors are checking your Dad out now, he'll be in to see you both soon. What I'd like though is to check you and your baby here out. I'd like to make sure you're both ok, that you didn't get hurt tonight."

Dean shook his head and turned away as much as he could while still protecting Sammy's head like Mommy had shown him when she first brought him back from the hospital.

He let out a sigh of relief, when at last he saw the tall, strong figure of his father standing in the doorway. As he looked up and met his Daddy's eyes, Dean couldn't hold back the tears any longer and they began again to drip down his face.

John Winchester ignored the nurse knelt before his boys as he strode into the room and swept Dean up from the chair and into his arms, shifting baby Sammy to protect him but keep him enveloped in the same hug. "I'm here, I've got you both now."

Dean burrowed his head into the shelter of his father's neck, the sobs little hiccupping sounds that were almost lost in his father's bathrobe. His head turned slightly as baby Sammy's hand held on to his. He wiped his eyes again before leaning over to place a gentle kiss on his baby brother's forehead.. "Good boy, Dean," his father reassured and he settled back against his father's shoulder.

"Mr Winchester, we need to check the children over to make sure they weren't hurt in the fire. Your son, he wouldn't let us check him and he hasn't let us near the baby."

"Fine, I'm here now. You can check them now." John turned to the door and the nurse nodded and led the way through to the examination room. He set Dean down on the bed and started to step away, but the little boy's arms remained tightly gripped round his neck. "Dean, baby, you need to let the lady check you over. I'm not leaving you, I'm staying right here."

When there was no sign of Dean letting go and still not a sound had escaped from his lips, John twisted his own body to sit on the bed, sighing as Dean climbed back into his lap. "What do you need to do?"

"Was there any chance he could have suffered any burns?"

John shook his head, "No he was in the heat, but he . . . he was carrying his brother out before the flames escaped the nursery. Smoke maybe but not the actual flames."

"Any other possible injuries?" she asked as she reached for the stethoscope to listen to his chest. "Okay, sweetie, I'm just going to listen to you breathe for a while okay?" She lifted his pajama top enough to slide the stethoscope underneath. "Take some good deep breaths for me."

She smiled as the little boy held his breath and stopped breathing altogether. "I'm sorry," John murmured, "He's just . . ."

"He's a brave boy," she reassured as the need to breathe overcame the child in John's arms and he took the breaths she needed to hear. "It's been a difficult night, Mr Winchester, for you all and while Dean here seems to be fine, physically, I would say he's suffering from shock and that grief will be not too far behind, but that maybe the full realization of tonight's events has not hit him yet. Now if I could just look at the little one?"

John slid Dean down onto the very end of the bed beside him before turning to lay Sammy down at the head of the bed and beginning to unwrap the layers of blankets in which he was cocooned. He felt as Dean's small hands scrabbled against his back, desperate not to be left alone, not to be out of the circle of family for even a moment and so as soon as he was sure the doctor's hands would keep Sam secure, he turned back to Dean's distraught features, pulling him back into his lap for another hug. He wondered if he should say anything about the fact that Dean hadn't made a sound since he'd left the building, he'd cried silently but he was distracted from the thought immediately when Dean wouldn't stay still and settle, instead crawling over to his brother and curling round the baby, trying to drag his father's arm over both himself and Sammy.

"Mr. Winchester, your boys have been lucky, there's not a scratch on them and only the barest hint of smoke inhalation. The little one will be absolutely fine with you and his brother to take care of him, Dean though . . . Being that little bit older, what he's seen tonight will have a huge impact on him, fear, grief, anger, loss, confusion. He will over time need to express all of them, but he's so young that he is unlikely to have the language or the understanding to deal with them. He's going to need a lot of reassurance, a lot of patience. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with the services that can help."

"Can we go now? My boys are okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Winchester, you can go now." She sighed as she stood back from the devastated family, watched as John Winchester scooped both his boys back up off of the bed, hugging them close in his arms and headed for the door.

"Thank you for your help, ma'am." He left as quickly as he could, putting the hospital behind him, not loosening the grip on his children for an instant, terrified that if he did he'd lose them as well.

Across the street, he saw a motel. He walked in and booked a room, ignoring the looks he was getting from the check-in clerk. Shutting and bolting the door behind him awkwardly, he carried the boys to the bed and laid them down. Dean's arms slid round his baby brother and Sam curled in and fell back to sleep. Dean didn't move, just hugged his brother to him, his eyes following his father round the room, until John too settled on the bed, casting his arm over both boys and watching as finally, Dean gave into exhaustion and closed his eyes.

* * *


End file.
